Connector device to prevent person from falling

ABSTRACT

A connector device includes a pulley rotatably supported in a housing, a spring member for biasing the pulley relative to the housing and for winding a rope onto the pulley and for cushioning the user and for preventing the user from being hurt while falling, and an actuating device selectively coupled to the pulley to selectively rotate the pulley and to selectively wind the rope onto the pulley when required, for allowing the user to move or elevate upwardly along the carrying strap or rope by the user himself, the pulley includes a gear wheel having a number of teeth, and the actuating device includes a shaft having a pinion for selectively engaging with the teeth of the gear wheel and for rotating the gear wheel relative to the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly to a connector device including a cushioning or resilient structure for cushioning or resiliently engaging with the person and for preventing the person from being hurt while falling, and including a rotating or winding or actuating or elevating device for allowing the person or the worker to elevate upwardly along the carrying strap or rope by the person or the worker himself.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical connector devices or assemblies have been provided and developed for being engaged with or attached to the conventional scaffolding and coupled to the person, and for safely anchoring and retaining or connecting the person to the scaffolding and for preventing the person from falling from the scaffolding while the person is working on the scaffolding, normally, the typical connector devices or assemblies comprise one or more collars for slidably attaching or mounting onto the tubular posts or the tubular rails of the scaffolding for slidably connecting the person to the scaffolding.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,866 to Bell et al. discloses one of the typical connector devices or assemblies for use on scaffolding in order to cushion the person or the worker and to safely couple the person to the scaffolding and to prevent the person from falling from the scaffolding.

However, the typical connector devices or assemblies have no cushioning or buffering devices to cushion the person or the worker and to safely couple the person to the scaffolding while falling such that the person may also be hurt while falling. In addition, after falling, no other elevating devices may be provided or used to elevate the person or the worker upwardly along the carrying strap or rope, such that the person or the worker have to spend a lot of time and energy and facilities to climb up along the carrying strap or rope.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional connector devices for use on scaffoldings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a connector device including a cushioning or resilient structure for cushioning or resiliently engaging with the person and for preventing the person from being hurt while falling.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a connector device including a rotating or winding or actuating or elevating device for allowing the person or the worker to elevate upwardly along the carrying strap or rope by the person or the worker himself.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector device comprising a housing including a chamber formed therein, and including an orifice formed in a bottom portion thereof and communicative with the chamber of the housing, a pulley rotatably mounted and supported in the chamber of the housing with an axle for winding and storing a rope, a spring member engaged between the axle and the pulley for biasing the pulley to rotate relative to the axle and the housing and for winding or recovering the rope onto the pulley, and an actuating device may be selectively coupled to the pulley to selectively rotate the pulley relative to the axle and the housing and to selectively wind the rope onto the pulley.

The pulley includes a hub attached onto the axle, a board mounted on the hub, and a gear wheel attached to the board and having a number of teeth provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and the actuating device includes a shaft rotatably attached to the housing and includes a pinion mounted to the shaft for selectively engaging with the teeth of the gear wheel and for allowing the gear wheel and the pulley to be selectively driven and rotated relative to the housing by the pinion of the shaft.

The actuating device includes an actuating lever having a first end coupled to the shaft for selectively rotating the shaft and the pinion relative to the housing and the pulley. The actuating device includes a spring member attached onto the shaft and engaged between the housing and the shaft for biasing the pinion of the shaft to engage with the teeth of the gear wheel.

The actuating device includes a cam member provided on the first end of the actuating lever for selectively engaging with the housing and for selectively moving the pinion of the shaft to compress the spring member and for selectively disengaging the pinion of the shaft from the gear wheel.

The actuating device includes a hand grip provided on a second end of the actuating lever for rotating the actuating lever and the shaft relative to the housing. The actuating device includes a retaining member attached to the housing and having an engaging slot formed therein for selectively receiving and engaging with the second end of the actuating lever.

The actuating device includes a stop member provided on a first end of the shaft for engaging with the housing and for limiting the shaft to slide relative to the housing and for preventing the shaft from being disengaged from the housing.

The housing includes a ratchet member mounted to the housing and having a number of ratchet teeth provided in the ratchet member, and the board includes a number of pawls pivotally attached the board with pivot pins for engaging with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet member and for limiting the board to rotate relative to the housing.

The housing includes a braking member mounted to the hub and disposed beside the pulley for engaging with the pulley and for braking the pulley. The hub includes a peripheral flange extended therefrom for engaging with the pulley and for preventing the pulley from being disengaged from the hub.

The housing includes a casing rotatably disposed and supported on the axle and secured to the pulley, and the spring member is mounted between the axle and the casing for biasing the casing and the pulley relative to the axle and for winding the rope onto the pulley when the rope is released.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling or connector device in accordance with the present invention for use on a scaffolding;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the connector device for use on the scaffolding;

FIG. 3 is another partial exploded view of the connector device for use on the scaffolding;

FIG. 4 is a further partial exploded view of the connector device for use on the scaffolding;

FIG. 5 is a front plan schematic view of the connector device for use on the scaffolding;

FIG. 6 is a side plan schematic view of the connector device, in which a portion of the connector device has been cut off for showing the inner structure of the connector device;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side plan schematic view of the connector device;

FIG. 8 is a front plan schematic view similar to FIG. 5; illustrating the operation of the connector device;

FIG. 9 is a side plan schematic view of the connector device as shown in FIG. 8, and similar to FIG. 6, in which a portion of the connector device has also been cut off for showing the inner structure of the connector device and for illustrating the operation of the connector device; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial side plan schematic view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating the operation of the connector device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3 and 5-6, a connector device 1 in accordance with the present invention is provided for being engaged with or attached to the conventional scaffolding (not shown), such as engaged with or attached to the tracks or rails of the conventional scaffolding (not shown) and coupled to the person (not shown) for safely anchoring and retaining or connecting the person to the scaffolding and for suitably cushioning the person, and for preventing the person from falling from the scaffolding inadvertently while the person is working on the scaffolding, and for allowing the person or the worker to elevate or climb upwardly along the carrying strap or rope 8 by the person or the worker or the user himself.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5-6, the connector device 1 comprises an outer housing 10 for being carried or attached or mounted or secured to the person or worker or user, and the housing 10 is formed or constituted by two housing members 11, 12 which may be solidly secured together with latches or fasteners 13, and includes a chamber 14 formed therein, and includes an orifice 15 formed in the bottom portion thereof (FIG. 3) and communicative with the chamber 14 of the housing 10 for engaging with a gasket or sealing ring or eyelet 16 which includes a bore 17 formed therein for slidably receiving or engaging with a rope 8 (FIGS. 1, 8-9) and for smoothly guiding the rope 8 to move into and out of the chamber 14 of the housing 10. A buckle (not shown) may be attached or mounted or secured to the rope 8 for coupling the user to the scaffolding, for example.

A bracket or hanger plate 20 is disposed or engaged or attached or mounted onto the housing members 11, 12 of the housing 10 and solidly secured to the housing members 11, 12 of the housing 10 with the fasteners 21, and the plate 20 may further include an opening 22 formed therein, such as formed in the upper portion thereof for hanging purposes and for forming or defining a handle 23 on the upper portion thereof, in which the opening 22 and the handle 23 of the plate 20 are disposed or extended out of the housing 10 for allowing the plate 20 and thus the housing 10 to be easily carried with the users and to be hung or attached or mounted or coupled to the scaffolding or the like.

A wheel or pulley 30 is rotatably attached or mounted or supported in the chamber 14 of the housing 10 with a axle 31 for winding and supporting or engaging with the rope 8 and for allowing the rope 8 to be folded or wound onto the pulley 30 and received in the chamber 14 of the housing 10, and includes a hub 32 disposed or mounted or secured in the center portion of the pulley 30 for rotatably receiving or engaging with the axle 31 and for allowing the pulley 30 to be smoothly and rotatably supported in the chamber 14 of the housing 10 and to be rotated relative to the axle 31 and the housing 10. The hub 32 may include a panel 33 attached or mounted or secured to one side of the hub 32 or the pulley 30 for engaging with the hub 32 or the pulley 30 and for stably anchoring or positioning the pulley 30 on the hub 32. It is to be noted that the axle 31 may also be solidly secured to the housing 10 with the fasteners 21.

A braking shoe or member 34 may further be provided and disposed or mounted on the hub 32 for engaging with the pulley 30 and for braking the pulley 30, and a board 35 is also provided and disposed or mounted on the hub 32 and attached or mounted to the braking member 34, and the braking member 34 is engaged between the board 35 and the pulley 30 for braking the pulley 30, the hub 32 includes a peripheral flange 36 extended radially and outwardly from one end thereof (FIG. 2) for engaging with the panel 33 or the pulley 30, and includes the other end threaded or engaged with a lock nut or fastener 37 which is engaged with the board 35 for stably locking or securing the pulley 30 between the panel 33 and the board 35 and for adjusting the frictional or braking force between the pulley 30 and the braking member 34.

A ratchet ring or member 40 is attached or mounted or secured to the housing 10, such as secured to the housing member 11 with latches or fasteners 41, and includes a number of inner ratchet teeth 42 provided or formed therein (FIG. 4), and one or more (such as three) pawls 43 are pivotally or rotatably coupled or attached or mounted or secured to the board 35 with pivot pins 44 (FIGS. 2-4) for selectively engaging with the ratchet teeth 42 of the ratchet member 40 and for limiting the board 35 and the braking member 34 to rotate unidirectionally relative to the housing 10, and one or more (such as three) spring members 45 are engaged with the pawls 43 for biasing or forcing the pawls 43 to engage with the ratchet teeth 42 of the ratchet member 40.

In operation, the rope 8 and the housing 10 may be attached or mounted or secured or coupled to the user, and the rope 8 and the buckle may be coupled to the scaffolding or the like when the user is conducting a climbing exercise or working on the scaffolding, and when the user is dropped or falling from the scaffolding or when the rope 8 is pulled out of the housing 10 by such as the weight of the user, the pulley 30 may be caused or forced to rotate relative to the braking member 34 which may brake or retard the rotational movement of the pulley 30 relative to the housing 10, the fastener 37 is engaged with the board 35 (FIG. 4) for stably locking or securing the pulley 30 between the panel 33 and the board 35 and for adjusting the braking force between the pulley 30 and the braking member 34.

A casing 50 is rotatably disposed or engaged or attached or mounted or supported on the hub 32 or the axle 31 and attached or mounted or secured to the pulley 30, and a coil spring member 51 is disposed or engaged or attached or mounted between the hub 32 or the axle 31 and the casing 50 for biasing or rotating or recovering the casing 50 relative to the hub 32 or the axle 31. A circular gear wheel 60 is attached or mounted or secured to the board 35 with latches or fasteners 61 (FIG. 4) such that the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 are rotated in concert with each other relative to the hub 32 or the axle 31, and the gear wheel 60 includes a number of teeth 62 provided or formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof, and the spring member 51 may bias or rotate or recover both the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 and the pulley 30 relative to the hub 32 or the axle 31.

As shown in FIGS. 2-3 and 5-10, a winding or actuating device 7 includes a shaft 70 rotatably attached or mounted or secured to the housing 10 with one or more bearing devices (not shown), for example, the housing 10 includes an aperture 18, 19 formed in each of the housing members 11, 12 of the housing 10 for rotatably receiving or engaging with the shaft 70 and for allowing the shaft 70 to be slidably and rotatably supported in the chamber 14 of the housing 10, a retaining ring or stop member 71 is attached or mounted or secured to one end 72 of the shaft 70 for engaging with the housing 10 and for limiting the shaft 70 to slide relative to the housing 10 and for preventing the shaft 70 from being disengaged from the housing 10.

The actuating device 7 includes a pinion 73 attached or mounted or secured to the shaft 70 and rotated in concert with the shaft 70 for selectively meshing or engaging with the teeth 62 of the gear wheel 60 (FIGS. 9-10) or for being selectively disengaged from the gear wheel 60 (FIGS. 6-7) by moving or sliding the shaft 70 relative to the housing 10, and thus for allowing the actuating device 7 to be selectively coupled to the gear wheel 60 and the pulley 30. Another spring member 74 is attached onto the shaft 70 and engaged between the housing 10 and the pinion 73 or the shaft 70 for biasing or forcing the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 to mesh or engage with the teeth 62 of the gear wheel 60 and for allowing the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 and the pulley 30 to be selectively driven or rotated relative to the housing 10 by the pinion 73 of the shaft 70.

The actuating device 7 includes a handle or actuating lever 80 having one or first end 81 pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the other end 75 of the shaft 70 with a pivot pin 82 for allowing the shaft 70 and the pinion 73 to be selectively driven or rotated relative to the housing 10 by the actuating lever 80 (FIGS. 5, 8), and includes a cam member 83 formed or provided on the one or first end 81 of the actuating lever 80 for selectively engaging with the housing 10 (FIGS. 6-7) and for selectively moving or forcing the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 to engage with the spring member 74 or to compress the spring member 74 and for selectively disengaging the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 from the gear wheel 60, and includes a hand grip 84 formed or provided on the other or second end 85 of the actuating lever 80 and preferably perpendicular to the actuating lever 80 for rotating the actuating lever 80 and the shaft 70 relative to the housing 10.

As shown in FIGS. 8-10, when the actuating lever 80 is rotated relative to the shaft 70 and the housing 10 with or about or around the pivot pin 82 for about one hundred and eighty (180) degrees from the folding or storing position as shown in FIGS. 5-6 to the outwardly opened or working position as shown in FIGS. 8-9, the cam member 83 may be rotated and selectively disengaged from the housing 10 to release the shaft 70, at this moment, the spring member 74 may bias or force the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 to engage with the gear wheel 60 and to allow the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 and the pulley 30 to be selectively driven or rotated relative to the housing 10 by the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 and the actuating lever 80.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, 5, and 8, a bracket or retaining member 87 may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured to the housing 10, such as secured to the housing member 11 and slightly extended out of the housing 10, and includes a slot 88, such as an oblong and opened engaging slot 88 formed therein for selectively receiving or engaging with the other or second end 85 of the actuating lever 80 and for selectively retaining the actuating lever 80 at the folding or storing position as shown in FIGS. 5-6. When the other or second end 85 of the actuating lever 80 is rotated and selectively disengaged from the engaging slot 88 of the retaining member 87, the actuating lever 80 may be selectively rotated to the outwardly opened or working position as shown in FIGS. 8-9.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, when the other or second, end 85 of the actuating lever 80 is received or engaged in the engaging slot 88 of the retaining member 87, the cam member 83 may be engaged with the housing 10 to move or force the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 to engage with or to compress the spring member 74 and to selectively disengage the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 from the gear wheel 60. At this moment, the spring member 74 may be biased or engaged between the pulley 30 and the hub 32 or the axle 31, to allow the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 and the pulley 30 to be selectively pulled and rotated relative to the housing 10 by the rope 8 and the weight of the user when the rope 8 is pulled away from the housing 10 and unwound from the pulley 30.

At this moment, the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 may be caused or forced to rotate relative to the axle 31, the spring member 51 may bias or rotate or recover both the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 relative to the axle 31 to apply a resistive force against the rotational movement of the pulley 30 relative to the housing 10 and the outward pulling of the rope 8, and the braking shoe or member 34 may also be used for braking the pulley 30 and the outward pulling movement or operation of the rope 8. Accordingly, when the user or worker or person is dropped or falling from the scaffolding or when the rope 8 is pulled out of the housing 10 by such as the weight of the user, both the spring member 51 and the braking member 34 may apply a resistive force against the rotational movement of the pulley 30 relative to the housing 10 and the outward pulling of the rope 8 in order to cushion the user and to prevent the person from being hurt while falling.

After falling, the user may selectively disengage the other or second end 85 of the actuating lever 80 from the engaging slot 88 of the retaining member 87 to the outwardly opened or working position as shown in FIGS. 8-9, and the cam member 83 may be rotated and selectively disengaged from the housing 10 to release the shaft 70, at this moment, the spring member 74 may bias or force the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 to engage with the gear wheel 60 and to allow the gear wheel 60 and the board 35 and the pulley 30 to be selectively driven or rotated relative to the housing 10 by the pinion 73 of the shaft 70 and the actuating lever 80 in order to wind the rope 8 onto and around the pulley 30 and to move or elevate the housing 10 and the person or the worker or the user upwardly along the carrying strap or rope 8 with the actuating lever 80 by the person or the worker or the user himself. Alternatively, the housing 10 may be attached or mounted or secured to the scaffolding and the rope 8 may be coupled to person or worker or user and may be selectively wound onto the pulley 30 by the other persons.

It is to be noted that the typical connector devices or assemblies may only be used for cushioning the person or the worker or the user and for safely coupling the person or the worker or the user to the scaffolding and to prevent the person or the worker or the user from falling from the scaffolding, the typical connector devices or assemblies may not be used to move or elevate the housing 10 and the person or the worker or the user upwardly along the carrying strap or rope 8 by the person or the worker or the user himself, and it may take a long time to wait until the other rescuing persons to help and to rescue the person or the worker or the user from the scaffolding.

Accordingly, the connector device in accordance with the present invention includes a cushioning or resilient structure for cushioning or resiliently engaging with the person and for preventing the person from being hurt while falling, and includes a rotating or winding or actuating or elevating device for allowing the person or the worker or the user to elevate upwardly along the carrying strap or rope by the person or the worker himself.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A connector device comprising: a housing including a chamber formed therein, and including an orifice formed in a bottom portion thereof and communicative with said chamber of said housing, a pulley rotatably mounted and supported in said chamber of said housing with an axle for winding and storing a rope, a spring member engaged between said axle and said pulley for biasing said pulley relative to said axle and said housing and for winding the rope onto said pulley, and an actuating device selectively coupled to said pulley to selectively rotate said pulley and to selectively wind the rope onto said pulley.
 2. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pulley includes a hub attached onto said axle, a board mounted on said hub, and a gear wheel attached to said board and having a plurality of teeth provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and said actuating device includes a shaft rotatably attached to said housing and includes a pinion mounted to said shaft for selectively engaging with said teeth of said gear wheel and for allowing said gear wheel and said pulley to be selectively driven and rotated relative to said housing by said pinion of said shaft.
 3. The connector device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuating device includes an actuating lever having a first end coupled to said shaft for selectively rotating said shaft and said pinion relative to said housing and said pulley.
 4. The connector device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said actuating device includes a spring member attached onto said shaft and engaged between said housing and said shaft for biasing said pinion of said shaft to engage with said teeth of said gear wheel.
 5. The connector device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said actuating device includes a cam member provided on said first end of said actuating lever for selectively engaging with said housing and for selectively moving said pinion of said shaft to compress said spring member and for selectively disengaging said pinion of said shaft from said gear wheel.
 6. The connector device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said actuating device includes a hand grip provided on a second end of said actuating lever for rotating said actuating lever and said shaft relative to said housing.
 7. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said actuating device includes a retaining member attached to said housing and having an engaging slot formed therein for selectively receiving and engaging with said second end of said actuating lever.
 8. The connector device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said actuating device includes a stop member provided on a first end of said shaft for engaging with said housing and for limiting said shaft to slide relative to said housing and for preventing said shaft from being disengaged from said housing.
 9. The connector device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing includes a ratchet member mounted to said housing and having a plurality of ratchet teeth provided in said ratchet member, and said board includes a plurality of pawls pivotally attached said board with pivot pins for engaging with said ratchet teeth of said ratchet member and for limiting said board to rotate relative to said housing.
 10. The connector device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing includes a braking member mounted to said hub for engaging with said pulley and for braking said pulley.
 11. The connector device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hub includes a peripheral flange extended therefrom for engaging with said pulley.
 12. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a casing rotatably disposed and supported on said axle and secured to said pulley, and said spring member is mounted between said axle and said casing for biasing said casing and said pulley relative to said axle. 